I live in a really dry climate and my hair suffers from it, big time! My ends split over and over again and my scalp gets really flaky. It is the worst! Now that the weather has once again started to cool down, my hair has started to feel as sad as it has in the past cold weather seasons. My scalp started feeling itchy and my hair was beginning to lose the shine I had worked so hard to get. All of the popular hairstyles right now have one thing in common, silky, shiny hair! That can’t be obtained when your hair is unhealthy. [Read more…]

When I don’t have a plan for dinner, I find myself spending money on going out to eat because I can’t figure out any other option. I used to have a major problem with this. My grocery bill was just as high, because I was buying groceries but I just didn’t make a plan at all and I found myself struggling to figure out something to make for dinner when it was too late in the day. My answer? Meal plan! I didn’t know how to meal plan. It sounds complicated, but it has been SO easy with my system I came up with. The best part? It is all on Pinterest aka the place we go to for our meal ideas anyway!

First thing is first, you get pinning! You probably have already been doing this part! Pin all of the recipes that you like to any of your Pinterest boards. I have a few different boards that I regularly pin to with different recipes that I think look delicious. [Read more…]

If you follow me on Instagram, or even just see a few of my kid related posts, you have probably seen my daughter’s head full of curls. I get asked all of the time what my tips are to keeping her curls under control and I decided to talk about my little girl curly hair tips on my newest video!

I hope I can help answer some of your questions and help you be able to manage those little curls at your house! Enjoy! [Read more…]

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WalgreensBeauty #CollectiveBias

I am all about making life sweet and simple during the summer. That includes my makeup look. I am way too busy creating awesome memories with my family to fuss too much about my makeup. Summer beauty should be about simplicity that doesn’t have to be touched up much throughout the day. I put together a simple makeup look that is chock full of my favorite makeup tips that you can rock everyday this summer.

Remember how I said simple? Most days, I use only about five beauty items.

*Foundation

*Sunscreen

*Lip color

*Mascara

*Eyebrow color

Here is how I use each of those items to create my perfect summer look…

The first thing I do, is start with a light sunscreen. This Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch sunscreen is just the right texture. I mix the sunscreen with my liquid foundation. Depending on how my skin is, I mix more or less foundation with my sunscreen to give the DIY tinted moisturizer more or less coverage. I put my tinted moisturizer all over my face. Then, I fill in my eyebrows. Don’t ever skip filling in your eyebrows!

Next comes the mascara. For me, summertime means water fun. Not that I am lounging by the pool or anything, but I tend to get wet a lot during the summer. Most of the time it is just getting sprinkled at a splash park, or sprayed in the face by a sprinkler I am trying to move on my lawn. I use nothing but waterproof mascara during the summer. I have learned to really love this Revlon Lash Potion mascara. It helps your lashes grow while you wear it!

Lastly, comes the lip color. I decided to try the Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain. Instead of a lipstick, this is a lip stain that adds color to your lips that won’t wear off like lipstick does. I am pretty much obsessed with this stuff! The color is fantastic.

Right now is just the right time to stock up on all of your summer beauty must haves! Walgreens has some seriously killer deals happening right now including a coupon for a free travel-size makeup brush set with any $20 beauty and personal care purchase! You can get that coupon HERE. This offer runs through August 30.

Now it is your turn to spill your secrets! What are your summer beauty essentials?

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #WalgreensBeauty #CollectiveBias

Our hair, skin, teeth, and nails aren’t big fans of winter weather. The dry air can create serious damage to our bodies that we may not even be aware of. Because I live in Idaho and have to endure what feels like is an 8 month long winter, I have come to find some winter essentials that help me protect my natural beauty so that I don’t have to suffer the effects of the winter all year long!

I went to Walgreens and picked up the five beauty essentials that I can’t survive without during the winter and I am excited to share them with you!

1. Dry shampoo. I am a licensed cosmetologist and I still go for Suave dry shampoo. I have tried several different brands and Suave is my favorite kind and it is also the most inexpensive kind that I have used too! The reason why dry shampoo is so important during the winter? The air is so dry, that it is important that you do not wash your hair every day. By washing your hair, you are actually drying it out a little more each time. Try skipping a day or two and using dry shampoo on your roots on the days you don’t wash your hair.

2. Hand creme. If you suffer from painful, cracked hands during the winter, an intensive hand creme is going to be your answer. I really like the Eucerin Intensive Repair, but there are several brands to choose from. I like to get a smaller size so I can keep it in my purse.

3. Firming night cream. I know that I have already said it, but I am going to say it again. The winter air is so dry! It is really hard on your skin. One of the best times to really give your skin an extra boost of moisture is at night. Use a firming night cream such as the Olay Night of Olay Firming Cream to give your face a boost of moisture while helping your skin firm up while you sleep! You can find this in the facial care section of Walgreens.

4. Teeth whitening strips. I know this might sound like a strange essential for winter, but I find that when my teeth are white, my face looks a lot more tan. Heaven knows I am anything but tan during the winter, so any help I can get is welcomed! I also think that when people are around the beautiful white snow, their teeth will look a lot more yellow than they do in the summer. When I use teeth whitening strips, I just buy the store brand 14 day kit like this one from Walgreens. They work surprisingly well!

5. Lip repair. Lips seem to suffer a lot during the winter. It is important to find some sort of lip repair that will protect your lips and will repair them from any damage that has already been done. I really like the Eucerin Aquaphor Lip Repair. It doesn’t have any strange taste and it makes my lips feel healthy and smooth.

Hey Girl Loves Glam readers! I’m Courtney from Fry Sauce and Grits! I’m really excited to be here today! McKenzie and I have become kindred spirit friends and I love her blog because it’s as fabulous and glam as McKenzie is!

Are you planning on getting family pictures taken this holiday or will be in the future? If you’re like me, getting pictures taken can be really stressful. I’m going to share with you seven tips that have become really helpful for my small family and I in making sure our experience is stress free because, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

There’s a lot that goes into family photos: picking out outfits, making sure hair and makeup look good, finding a photographer, and that all family members are in happy spirits. Making sure all of these things are in order can cause a lot of stress and this stress can show up in your photos. Then whenever you look at those photos on your wall you’re reminded of how crappy and stressful that experience was. Ugh.

SO to avoid all of that, here are some tips I’ve found to be really helpful for my family:

1. Find a photographer you trust and understands your style

While I was growing up my family always had a neighbor across the street who was an aspiring photographer, and she would take our pictures every year. She wouldn’t take any payment because she did it out of the kindness of her heart. I look back at those pictures and cringe at how awful they are. Just because your photographer has a nice camera doesn’t mean that they know how to use it. Just make sure if you do go this route, ask to see some of their work beforehand.

I’m a frugal person because I have to be and I can’t afford an expensive photographer. Sometimes the more expensive the photographers are doesn’t mean they’re going to be the best ones for you. You have to jive or have a connection with your photographer. If your personalities don’t really mesh it can cause your experience to go sour. Plus, every photographer has a certain style, make sure their style and how they capture people is what you like too. If you have no idea what the heck you want, I’d recommend you to start a Pinterest board of all of the family photos that you like and that will give you an idea of what you’re looking for when it comes to your pictures. When you find a photographer you like, send them the url to your board so you two can discuss what you’re looking for and seeing if it’s a good match.

I’ve felt really lucky because my favorite photographer I’ve used is super affordable. I think what makes her my favorite is because I grew up with her and we’ve had a long friendship. For those who live in Utah, her name is McKell and is an extraordinary photographer. I love her laid back and natural approach to photography. She gives off this chill vibe that really makes you feel at ease. She’s all about capturing the real side of people and I think that’s what really drew me to her photography. She’s such a sweetheart. You can learn more about her and her photography at McKell Morgan Photography.

Ok, so what if you’re not lucky enough to have an awesome friend who’s a fabulous photographer? I recommend you to ask your friends on Facebook, Instagram, or any kind of social media. You could also check out your family, friends, and neighbors family pictures and if you find one you really like, ask them if they liked their photographer and get feedback. Just remember to do your research on that photographer before you contact them to see if you’re a good match for their style and price.

When I say, “wear dark clothing,” this doesn’t mean you have to show up looking like a goth. Darker clothes are more flattering on people’s bodies than light colored, thin, and bold patterned prints are. If you’re into stripes, be careful to which direction they run. If you have a small chest or hips, wearing horizontal stripes will make enhance them. If you want to minimize your chest or hips, go for vertical stripes because they will elongate your body. Who doesn’t want to look taller? Also, wear clothing that is comfortable and avoid wearing something that you’re constantly going to be tugging at or adjusting.

One of my favorite beauty bloggers, Maskcara does a great job showing how light and thin clothing can make you look heavier and by wearing dark clothing can make you look thinner. Check out the post here.

Pictures taken of people head on are some of least flattering pictures. To avoid this, slightly angle your body by either crossing one leg over the other, bending one leg and pointing it out. Another way to look your thinnest is to avoid flattening your arms against your sides and legs together. To get perfect posture, stand up straight, stick your chest and neck out a bit.Here’s some great examples of how the combination of wearing dark pieces, posture, and angles can make everyone look their thinnest!

It’s so important to wear enough makeup on your face when you take pictures. If you don’t wear a lot of makeup, make sure you have enough color on your lips, cheeks, and eyes. My sister Melanie who is a makeup artist wrote this awesome article about how to get the perfect makeup for brides, but this can apply to getting pictures taken too.

Some other thoughts: Apply makeup in natural light, avoid shimmery or glittery makeup, go for more matte, apply a second or third coat of mascara, line the eyes of eyeliner, and don’t forget to put on extra blush and a colored lipstick or gloss. I always bring my makeup bag with me to the photo shoot just in case I need a touch up. Bring your lipstick or gloss in your pocket while your getting your pictures taken so you can quickly add some color to your lips after you do any kissing pictures. Melanie recommends this in her post too, but my best trick for getting to smudge free and perfect looking makeup is wearing a foundation primer. One last tip, learn how to highlight and contour your face, check out this tutorial on MaskCara! This foundation primer from Smashbox is my favorite and it’s oil free!

Duh! This is no brainer, if you get enough sleep you will have the stamina and energy to look your best for your pictures. I find when I do something active that morning or afternoon of the pictures, I feel better and I look better. Go on a hike, a walk, rollerblade, play with your kids, do housework, go to the gym, ride a bike, just get up and move!

If you eat well that day you’ll feel good inside. DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF! I did this before and let’s just say it was a disaster. I was yawning, I had dark circles underneath my eyes, and had zero energy. Pretty much I looked like a zombie.

If you have small kids make sure to bring some snack and drinks so you can keep everyone hydrated and something in their stomachs. After the pictures are taken, go treat yourself and your family! You deserve it!

6. Don’t parent the kids, don’t get caught up in the small things, and don’t strive for perfection

I asked McKell what tips she has for a smooth and stress free photo shoot and these are her thoughts.

Lower your expectations! (Not your expectations with your photographer, just your kids). This may be true in a lot of situations involving children. You just got to go with the flow.

Don’t yell at your kids! It makes the kids unhappy and you frazzled. Just doesn’t make for a happy situation. Bring some snacks and some water, it is okay to take a few breaks during a session.

Recently I photographed my own family (While that is difficult on many levels being behind and in front of the camera) I understand the stress of wanting those perfect photos. You just got to let. it. go.

For me as a photographer, I want to capture you interacting with each other. I want to see you playing and snuggling. When that happens the smiles will come. And that is what families are about. Not perfectly posed photos but REAL ones.

7. Don’t match, coordinate

When you’re picking out what everyone in your family is going to wear for your photos, strive for coordinating, not matching. When I was deciding what our family was going to wear I didn’t have any extra money in our budget to go buy new clothes. So I went into each of our closets and picked articles of clothing I liked. I did the same for Amelia and McKay. I found there was a common theme going on: white, black, brown, patterns, and a hint of pink.

The three of us are wearing different patterns in our pictures, but not one of them is overpowering because I kept them all in the same color group.

I’m happy that I only spend $3.99 on Amelia’s black turtleneck I got on clearance at Baby Gap, and that was the only thing I had to purchase for our pictures. Try to use what you have, this will prevent the extra stress of having to purchase new clothes for everyone.

I hope these tips help you to have a stress free experience the next time you get your family pictures taken. They’ve really helped my family and I.

Welcome back to Blog Conference Prep Week! In case you missed out on the first two days, you can find the one about business cards here and the one about pimping up those business cards here!

Now to move on with the series, I am going to tell you a few things to remember to take to blog conferences!

1. Business cards- Obviously, if I spent the last 2 days talking about them, they are important!

2. Your phone and phone charger- If you have a smart phone, chances are, you will take most of your photos with your phone. Then your phone will die and you will need your phone charger.

3. Your DSLR- I didn’t use mine at ALL this year, but I realized it is because I never did what I wanted to do with it. Don’t plan on taking your nice camera to the classes because chances are, you won’t use it there. Take your DSLR so that your friends can take new head shots of you or so that you can get great pictures of your surroundings and the people who are at the conference.

4. Clothing you are comfortable in- Be sure you feel like yourself at blog conferences. You want to represent your blog well, but you want to be comfortable with what you are wearing. That doesn’t mean sweats, it just means clothes that you feel like yourself in!

5. Roomie gifts- I know this sounds cheesy, but nothing kicks off a blog conference quite like getting presents from your roomies! It is really fun! They don’t need to be big, just a little something to show them you care.

It is hard to believe that blogging has become a “job” for me. I use the word job lightly though when it comes to blogging because I truly love what I do. I have learned so much over the years about blogging, especially in the last year. I have stepped it up and really taken my blog more seriously. Honestly, I could probably tell you all of the things I have learned for a month straight. I could go on and on about SEO, sponsors, HTML, and plugins, but that stuff isn’t as important to me as a few other things that I have learned from blogging.

1. Surround yourself with bloggers you love- Maybe this isn’t physically surrounding yourself, but connect with other bloggers online! We are all in this together. Believe it or not, we can all learn from each other. No matter how huge or tiny your blog is, you have valuable knowledge to share. Finding blog friends has made a major difference in my blogging abilities and in the growth of my blog. Not to mention, it is the greatest group of people you could ever meet! People who think just like YOU do!

2. Just be YOU!- In my daughter’s room, I have a picture hanging up that says, “I love you because there is no one else in the world like you”. I think of that quote a lot. Especially while I am blogging. It took me a few YEARS to realize that people didn’t want a faceless, nameless person writing on my blog. They wanted me! I slapped my face up on my blog and started writing just the same way that I talk. Then something amazing happened. People started following my blog! When I think of my favorite blogs, all of them have the same thing in common. They are real. They are themselves. There are so many blogs out there, but if you just blog as yourself, nobody can take that from you.

3. It isn’t a contest- I think a lot of bloggers have a hard time with feeling like they are constantly competing with other bloggers. Well, guess what? It isn’t a contest! People follow several blogs! Just because someone follows one blog, doesn’t mean they are only going to read just that one blog. They can read yours too! Just because you put washi tape on a flower pot and then someone else put washi tape on a flower pot a week later doesn’t mean they stole the idea from you either. I can’t tell you the amount of times that something similar has happened to me! That doesn’t mean that person stole the idea from me though. Don’t play the blame game and keep on creating!

There really are so many other things that I have learned, but I seriously would be going on and on for weeks if I don’t stop now! Enjoy the journey and if you really want to blog, become a student of blogging and learn as much as you can to be the best that you can be!